Cheaper coronary stents help 7m patients nationwide

China's centralized procurement of coronary stents has benefited about 7 million patients by providing higher-quality treatment at more affordable prices, according to a recent statement from the National Healthcare Security Administration.

The country launched a bulk-buy program for coronary stents — small mesh tubes used to widen clogged arteries and restore blood flow — in 2020, reducing the average price of 10 commonly used products from more than 10,000 yuan ($1,471) to less than 1,000 yuan. A follow-up procurement round in 2022 expanded the selection to 14 products.

The administration said that as of April, more than 10 million procured coronary stents had been used, accounting for over 90 percent of all such products used nationwide. Both the number of coronary intervention procedures and the number of hospitals capable of performing them have increased significantly in recent years.

"Patients with heart attacks can now receive stent implantations at county-level medical institutions, saving precious time in the race to save their lives," the administration said.

A study led by Fuwai Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, involving more than 90,000 patients across eight major hospitals, found that the number of coronary stent implantation procedures increased by 15 percent between 2019 and 2022, while the average number of stents used per case fell from 1.5 to 1.3.

According to the administration, the findings indicate improved access to care and a more standardized clinical use of medical consumables.

Meanwhile, no statistically significant differences were found in the two-year incidence rates of major adverse cardiovascular events between patients treated before and after the centralized procurement program, demonstrating the stable quality of bulk-buy coronary stents.

The study also found that the average hospitalization cost per patient dropped by 25.8 percent during the same period.

"The decline in coronary stent prices has created significant opportunities for the clinical application of new technologies and medical consumables," the administration said. "For instance, at the eight hospitals, the utilization rates of intracoronary imaging, functional assessment examinations and complex coronary intervention techniques rose by more than 200 percent, 300 percent and 50 percent, respectively."

"The proportion of advanced technology use is now gradually approaching that of developed countries," it added.

The second round of follow-up procurement for coronary stents was carried out on Wednesday in Tianjin.

According to the administration, a total of 27 products won bids based on preliminary results. The 14 previously selected products, covering both domestic and foreign brands, all retained their places in the procurement program.

A number of newly approved products were also selected, providing patients with a wider range of treatment options.